Device and method for treating wire material

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device for treating wire material, comprising at least one station consisting of two disc-shaped substrates. The surfaces of said substrates face each other and overlap, clamping the wire material with a changing surface condition. The substrate surfaces (C 1 , C 2 ) overlap except for at least one visual inspection zone (K), which remains exposed for viewing on at least one substrate surface (C 1 ) and likewise makes contact with the wire material (D). The surface condition of said zone is essentially the same as the wire contact area (F) of the overlapped remainder of said substrate surface (C 1 ).

The invention relates to a device according to the preamble of claim.

A wire treatment frequently is expedient for the manufacturing of wire, when welding with wire electrodes, and when processing wire. According to DE-A-20 45 800 welding wire is drawn along a block made of a solid lubricant in order to reduce the sliding resistance or to make the sliding resistance more uniform, respectively. According to U.S. Pat. No. 2,819,314 welding wire is lubed/lubricated with solid lubricants in particulate consistency. In the welding technique so-called cleaning felts are clamped onto the welding wire which cleaning felts are saturated with a cleaning agent. According to AT40 5799 a contact lubricant is applied by an absorptive substrate on the wire electrode used for arc welding in order to make the current transfer in the contact nozzle more uniform and to improve the current transfer, respectively.

In the manufacturing of drawn wires in the practice a treatment is carried out after the blank drawing step in order to remove rests of drawing agents. In this case the wire material is drawn through between felt strips which are pressed against each other. The felt strips are located between pressing elements are cyclically advanced and are wound on then. The wire material runs between the felt strips for a long time along the same contact line. The line-like contact region cannot be inspected visually. The stopwise movement of the felt strips or the replacement of the felt strips, respectively, is carried out according to guidelines of experience or the gut feel of an operator. This means that the felt strips are either moved further on or are replaced too late or too early, respectively.

When the felt strips are moved further or replaced too late the treatment quality deteriorates. When the felt strips are moved further or replaced too early the capacity of the device cannot be used appropriately. Despite all efforts, for these reasons, fluctuations of the quality of the wire treatment cannot be avoided, irrespective whether the wire material has to be cleaned, impregnated, wetted or treated in another fashion. The user or fabricator, respectively, of the wire material has to live with this delivery condition of the wire which has uncontrolled influence on the quality and the process safety during the wire application or a further wire processing. How important a good surface quality of treated welding electrode wire material is, e.g. can be seen from the article “Neue Erkenntnisse beim MAGN-Hochleistungsschweiβen mit rotierendem Lichtbogen” in the journal “Schweiβ- und Prüftechnik””, March 1997, pages 34-41 (new recognition for MAGN-high duty welding with rotating arc).

It is an object of the invention to provide a device of the kind as mentioned at the beginning and to provide a corresponding method allowing to optimise wire treatment and the result of the wire treatment in view to uniform high efficiency of the device and good quality of the treated wire material.

The above-mentioned object is achieved with the features of object claim 1 and with the features of method claim 22.

The visual inspection zone which intentionally is kept free for visual inspection so to speak presents the surface condition in the overlapping region which surface condition is present visually or in some cases detectable by an auxiliary device as decision help for moving or replacing the substrates. Besides or in addition to a visual inspection by personnel a device (a camera or a device scanning the light absorption or reflection properties) may be used. For these reasons the substrates can be used exactly up to the point after which a deterioration of the treatment quality has to be reckoned with, or can no longer be avoided, respectively. This results in several advantages. The substrates can be used optimally and efficiently and precisely until a selective boundary to the worse is reached. The decision help of the permanently visible quality condition of the visual inspection zone allows to maintain the treatment quality and the final quality of the wire material uniformly high, since the substrates can be moved or replaced in each case first before a not tolerable deterioration of the treatment quality occurs, and not too early. The efficiency is increased, since the capacity of the substrates can be used to the full extent without danger for the treatment quality, particularly irrespective whether the substrates become dirty or wear rapidly or slowly, respectively. In case that wire material treated in the device is employed as wire electrodes for welding processes or for MAGN-brazing, a high welding process safety can be reached. Similar is true for the further processing of spring steel wire to final products like springs. Wire material for WIG-welding, plasma welding and laser welding can be treated in the device e.g. by alkaline agents until absolute cleanness is reached. The sliding properties of wire material can be improved uniformly. A corrosion protection can be applied uniformly as well. The wire material can be treated in the device during the manufacturing process at the wire producer site in order to minimise fluctuations of the surface quality or the treatment quality, respectively. Alternatively, a wire user may compensate quality fluctuations originating from the wire producer by means of the device. The wire user even may use the device to achieve the important quality and the process safety independent from the “supplied” treatment condition of the wire. The substrates may be moved in steps or continuously, and either preventively in order to wear the entire surface gradually and uniformly distributed, or upon demand, in each case, however, while inspecting the condition of the visual inspection zone. Even welding wire balm can be applied with constant quality by the device. In case of aluminium wire first rests of the drawing agent may be removed with the help of a cleaning agent and/or of a solvent, before the wire is constantly well cleaned in the device and even may be dried then. Even an oxide skin may be removed with high and uniform quality. Single treatment steps like pre-dissolving, cleaning, drying, and coating, may be carried out in a single pass.

The final user, e.g. in the car industry, has the possibility when processing aluminium wire or CuSi-wire to employ the device for cleaning purposes and/or coating purposes immediately after loading the wire and to remove quality fluctuations originating from the wire supplier. Even abrasive substances may be used in order to smoothen the surface of the wire material and/or to remove an oxide skin. The structurally simple measures to modify the overlap of the substrates as needed for the function intentionally such that a visual inspection zone is created, and to move the visual inspection zone substantially lateral to the wire run direction in order to read-with the hidden surface condition in the overlapping region, creates the prerequisites which allow to better use the capability of the substrates, to control the treatment optimally and to achieve a constantly high treatment quality.

Preferred embodiments are contained in the depending claims.

Embodiments of the invention will be explained with the help of the drawing. In the drawing is:

FIG. 1 a side view of a treatment device,

FIG. 2 an axial section in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 a side view of another device including three stations,

FIG. 4 a side view of another embodiment,

FIG. 5 a side view of a further embodiment,

FIG. 6 a side view of a further embodiment,

FIGS. 7, 7A and 8 side views of further embodiments,

FIG. 9 a perspective view of a further embodiment, and

FIG. 10 a side view of a further embodiment.

A device V shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 serves to treat running wire material D (wire running direction 2, wire axis X), i.e. in particular for cleaning and/or wetting and/or impregnating the wire, and comprises at least one station S in which two e.g. planar substrates A1, A2 (here of circular form) of a predetermined thickness are pressed by their surfaces C1, C2 more or less against each other. The wire material D runs through essentially in stretched condition. In some cases the substrates A1, A2 may be provided on rigid carriers 4, 5, e.g. made from metal, plastics, or wood.

The substrate A2 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a smaller outer diameter than the substrate A1 which is provided coaxially e.g. on a common axis Y of rotation. A visual inspection zone K (here in annular form) is kept free from the surface C1 of the substrate A1. In the visual inspection zone K the wire material D is treated at one side in a contact region F′. The visual inspection zone K can be examined for its surface condition permanently visually or by means of an e.g. optoelectronic device 8. In the overlapping region of both substrates A1, A2 the wire material D is treated along a line-like contact region F, in case that the substrates are kept stationary. An arrow 3 indicates that the substrates A1, A2 either can be rotated in or counter to the wire running direction 2, respectively. The rotation e.g. may result from the friction force of the running wire material D (e.g. via a controlled brake 1′) or from an assisting drive 1. The rotation can be controlled in steps or continuously. It is possible to rotate both substrates with different speeds and/or in opposite directions in relation to each other. Of importance is that the adjustment movement of the substrates is carried out with a movement component for the visual inspection zone K substantially crosswise to the wire running direction 2 in order to display the surface condition of the visual inspection zone K for examination.

A conclusion can be drawn from the surface condition (e.g. the respective contact region F′) of the visual inspection zone K directly for the surface condition in the hidden overlapping region. It then can be detected reliably when the surfaces are used that far and/or contaminated and/or only function restrictedly, e.g. because treatment material is consumed such that the upcoming treatment quality for the wire material D would decrease. It suffices then to rotate the substrates further by one step or to rotate them further continuously. In case that already the entire visual inspection zone K is contaminated/worn out more or less uniformly or is visually affected, the substrates need to be replaced.

The visual inspection zone K offers the needed decision help to carry out a movement and/or a replacement then when it can no longer be avoided in view to the intended treatment quality. The local display of the generic surface conditions by means of the visual inspection zone K as well may be used to control the addition of some treatment agent to the substrates, e.g. by dribbling, spraying or the like. Besides or alternatively to the visual inspection the inspection zone K may be monitored by a camera or a light absorption apparatus or reflection apparatus (device 8) in order to automatically find the right point in time for a movement (arrow 3) or for the replacement. The device 8 may be functionally coupled to the drive 1 or the brake 1′, respectively, and/or may be connected to an alarm source 9.

The substrates A1, A2 e.g. may be plates, strips or disks made of felt, fleece, fabric, foam material, plastics or the like, preferably having absorptive properties and/or in some cases even abrasive properties. Liquid, paste-like or powder-like agents may be put into the substrates A1, A2 for assisting in the treatment or which even may be essential for the treatment. The added agents may e.g. comprise: cleaning agents, slip additives, abrasive substances, contact agents, alkaline agents, oil-like or wax-like agents, wetting agents, welding wire balm, solvent, and the like.

The substrates A1, A2 may be fixed on the axis Y of rotation such that they are not allowed to rotate in relation to each other. Alternatively, it is possible, to provide at least one substrate rotatable in relation to the other substrate on the axis of rotation.

Although in FIGS. 1 and 2 only one wire material D is shown, alternatively several wire materials could be drawn at the same time in parallel orientation through the station. The contact pressure between the substrates A1, A2 may be adjustable.

The device shown in FIG. 3 e.g. comprises three stations S, S′, S″ for equal or differing treatment steps. At least one visual inspection zone K is present in each station for permanent inspection. The stations are situated in relation to the wire axis X in a common plane and such that the visual inspection zones K face to the same side of the wire axis.

In FIG. 3, showing three stations, the visual inspection zone K in the middle station S′ faces to the opposite side of the wire axis X. Moreover, the visual inspection zones K of the first and the second and of the second and the third stations overlap each other. Despite the fact that there are three visual-inspection zones K in the three stations, the wire material D, nevertheless, never will receive only one-sided treatment.

In FIG. 3, showing three stations, the middle station S′ is rotated about the wire axis X by 90° in relation to the other stations S, S″. Basically, it may be expedient to place the planes of the single stations offset to each other about the wire axis in order to treat the wire material as uniformly as possible in circumferential direction and in longitudinal direction, respectively.

The substrates A1, A2 in one station in FIG. 6 are provided on separate axes Y, Y′ of rotation such that the surfaces overlap each other only in a lentil-shaped region. In this case relatively large surface regions of the substrates can be used as the visual inspection zones K.

The substrates A1, A2 shown in FIG. 7 have respectively a polygonal shape, e.g. the shape of squares. In this case the substrates are offset to each other about the common axis Y of rotation by 90° such that the visual inspection zones K are formed by the offset and by the geometry.

The respective visual inspection zone K of the substrate A1 in FIG. 7A is defined either by a cut-out 11 which is open to the edge of the substrate, or by a window 12 or 13 situated inside the edge of the substrate. The cut-out 11 or the window 12, 13, respectively, may be of any arbitrarily chosen geometric shape, and is, as shown, e.g. V-shaped, round or is shaped like a slotted hole. The cut-out or the window, respectively, may be provided within only one substrate, or alternatively, may be provided in both substrates but offset to each other. A single substrate may have several cut-outs or windows.

Both substrates A1, A2 shown in FIG. 8 have differing geometric forms (a circle and a square in the shown embodiment) such that several visual inspection zones K will remain free.

The plate-shaped substrates A1, A2 (e.g. having differing longitudinal extensions) as shown in FIG. 9 contact each other within a holder 6 such that the visual inspection zone K is oriented substantially crosswise to the wire run direction 2.

The drive 1 serves to move the visual inspection zone K in steps or continuously in the direction of the arrow 3, either relative to the holder 6, or together with the holder 6.

FIG. 10 illustrates a per se conventional device V which is modified in order to allow a permanent visual inspection of the surface condition of the substrates A1, A2. The substrates A1, A2 are strips which are held by pressing elements 7 at the laterally running through wire material D and which are moved in the direction of the arrow 3 (upwardly or downwardly) crosswise to the wire material D. In some case, the used strips may be wound on, and/or the new unused strips are wound off. The roller 7 may be driven. The strips (and in some cases even the roller) have differing widths and/or are offset to each other in wire running direction 2 in order to visually present at least one visual inspection zone K.

In accordance with the method the condition or part of a surface of at least one substrate is made visible with the help of a visual inspection zone K which is kept free intentionally. The rest of the surface cannot be inspected. The visual inspection zone contacts the wire material like the surface itself such that the visual inspection zone gets contaminated or worn out substantially like and to the same extent as the surface itself, and such that also the visual inspection zone dispenses the respective treatment material as the surface does. The surface condition in the visual inspection zone K is detected visually or by an apparatus. The result of the detection is used as a decision help or even a cause to further move the substrates relative to the wire axis or to replace them, as soon as an occurred not tolerable deterioration is detected. The inherent momentary treating capability of the substrate, so to speak, is displayed and monitored in the visual inspection zone to reliably let the substrates work just as long as possible and in view to use the substrates as efficiently as possible in view to a good treatment quality of the wire material. 

1. A device for treating running wire material, in particular for at least one of cleaning, wetting and impregnating said wire material, in said device said wire material is running in at least one station in-between two substrates which are held against said wire material, said substrates having surfaces which face to each other, overlap each other and contact said wire material with a varying surface condition, further comprising an adjusting mechanism for a relative movement of said substrates at least with a movement component oriented crosswise to a wire running direction, wherein said substrate surfaces overlap each other only such that at least one visual inspection zone is kept free which is moved relative to said wire material with a lateral movement component, and that said visual inspection zone contacts said wire material at one side.
 2. The device as in claim 1, wherein both substrates are rotatable about a common axis of rotation, that in case of substantial equal geometric form of both said substrates, one said substrate is smaller than the other, and that the visual inspection zone is formed by the size difference at the surface of the larger of said substrates.
 3. The device as in claim 1, wherein both said substrates are rotatable about a common axis of rotation, and that said visual inspection zone is formed by at least one of different geometric forms of and a relative offset of said substrates about the axis of rotation.
 4. The device as in claim 1, wherein said substrates which have substantially equal size and substantially equal geometric forms, are rotatable about two parallel axes of rotation, and that said two axes are distant from one another in a plane defined by said surfaces of said substrates.
 5. The device as in claim 2, wherein said substrates are circular disks.
 6. The device as in claim 3, wherein said substrates, are polygonal disks.
 7. The device as in claim 1, wherein said visual inspection zone is smaller than the overlapping region.
 8. The device as in claim 1, wherein at least one of said substrates has a cut-out which is open to an edge of said substrate or has a window (12, 13) placed within said edge of said substrate, respectively, and that said cut-out or said window of the one of said substrates, respectively, defines said visual inspection zone (K) at said surface of the other of said substrates (A1).
 9. The device as in claim 1, the movement of said adjusting mechanism is derived from the friction resistance of the substrates on said wire material, by means of a braking device.
 10. The device as in claim 1, wherein said substrates are moved continuously or in steps.
 11. The device as in claim 1, wherein said substrates are rotatable by means of at least one drive with a sense of rotation in or counter to said wire running direction.
 12. The device as in claim 1, wherein said device includes several stations which are provided in said wire running direction one after the other.
 13. The device as in claim 12, wherein said substrates in said stations are placed either in a common plane or are placed in planes offset to each other about an axis of said wire.
 14. The device as in claim 12, wherein said visual inspection zones in said stations face to one side only or face to different sides of an axis of said wire, respectively.
 15. The device as in claim 1, wherein each said substrate comprises at least one of an absorptive, felt material, foam plastic material, plastic material, fleece material and fabric material.
 16. The device as in claim 1, wherein each said substrate is provided on a rigid carrier.
 17. The device as in claim 1, wherein said substrates include a stored dose of at least one of a liquid, paste-like or powder-like cleaning agent a slip additive, an abrasive agent, a contact agent, an alkaline agent, an oily or wax containing agent, a wetting agent and a welding wire balm.
 18. The device as in claim 1, wherein said visual inspection zone is oriented at least substantially crosswise to said wire run direction, and that said substrates are moveable crosswise or obliquely to said wire running direction.
 19. The device as in claim 18, wherein both said substrates are plate-shaped and are positioned in a holder, and that said substrates can be moved within the holder or together with the holder.
 20. The device as in claim 18, wherein both said substrates are strip-shaped and are positioned between pressing elements, and that said substrates are moveable between said pressing elements or together with the pressing elements.
 21. The device as in claim 1, further comprising an optoelectronic condition detection device that is aligned with said visual inspection zone, said detection device, being in operative connection with said adjusting mechanism and having a warning indicator.
 22. A method for treating running wire material, in particular for at least one of cleaning, wetting and impregnating said wire material comprising: running the wire material through between two substrates which are held in at least one station against the wire material, the surfaces of the substrates facing to each other and overlapping each other and contacting the wire material with a varying surface condition, an adjusting mechanism for relatively moving the substrates at least with a movement component oriented crosswise to the wire running direction; keeping at least one visual inspection zone free on at least one substrate surface that is brought into contact with the wire material; reading or scanning the surface condition of the visual inspection zone to view a deterioration of the treating quality; and, using the result of the reading or scanning is used as a decision help for moving the substrates further or for replacing the substrates. 